Davenport West High holds second blood drive of the year
First time donor and sophomore Hannah Neyens lays patiently while donating.
December 15, 2017
On Thursday, Dec. 14 Davenport West High held its second blood drive of the year in the West YMCA.
“Yesterday was a little rough because we had to get ready for the blood drive and organize everything today. We are hoping it goes smooth,” junior Mia Nelson said.
The blood drive is expected to have 90 plus donors, with a goal of 120 units of blood to save 480 lives.
“The importance of the blood drive is to help the Mississippi Blood Center send blood to all the hospitals in the area,” donor relations consultant Amy Kent said.
There are donors who have been donating since their sophomore year and now it is their senior year. Students who donate a gallon of blood before graduation are eligible for a cord to wear for graduation.
“I donate because it is a sense of being able to give back, and do good,” nine-time donor and senior Gage Coghill said.
Sophomore Hannah Neyens donated for her first time and plans on donating again.
“I never donated, but it was an experience. I did it because it was for a good cause,” Neyens said.
Junior Leah Anderson has donated twice. Her second experience was okay.
“I had a nice helper [and] everything went well. I got done donating and was talking to a friend eating a cookie [but] I got dizzy and blacked out,” Anderson said.
Biology teacher Renee Lietz is out for the blood drive, but juniors Mia Nelson, Alexa Glandon, Kate Kealey, Emma Bernick, and a few other students were there to take over and make the blood drive run smoothly.
“My job was to organize the blood drive, and pass out permission slips,” Glandon said.
Many donors were deferred due to low iron, medical issues and personal problems.
“Eat a breakfast, drink lots of water and do not freak out,” Coghill said.
